Feed trough for animal pens



J. LANGEH. FEED TROUGH FOR'ANIMAL PENS- I E 5 N F: v

Q' LL APPLICAHON FILED OCT- 1, I920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R: L-U1NGER.

FEED TRQUGH 'FOR ANIMAL PENS.

APPLICATION man OCT. I, x920.

1 ,4 1 3,4: 1 0. Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET}- RUDOLPH .r. mnennfor nonricnnno, Iowa, assmnqa :ppI ;m R

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Specification of I Applicatio filed. octaves-1, 1920. senarn'd; 414,070, I 5- i all whom it may. concern] iv Be it known that-ll, RUDQLPHZJ. LAneER, a citizen of the United Statesof America,

residing at Monticello,-in the. countyt of Jones and State of Iowa,'have invented certain new,v and useful Improvements in FeedLTroughs for .Animal Pens, of which the following is a specification; V

' The primary object of'the-iinvention is the provision of a metalv pen adapted "for'easily feedin v the animals without the necessity of entering the pen whereby the feeding operation may be accomplished by an attendant without a near approach to the animals in the pen'.-' 7

A still further object is to provide a strong pen for animals having a movable side portion permitting the placing of feed within the pen andladapted for automatic locking in itsnnormal closediposition; 2'

With. these" eneral objects vin view and others that 'willi appear as the naturei'of the invention is better understood, the same;

consists in the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts herelnafter more fully described, illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, and pointed outin the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts 7 throughout the several views,

F igure'l is a perspective view of the feed trough and pen with the sides partly broken away,

Figure 2 isa perspective view of a swing-' ing panel in its open position to permit the feeding of stock,

Figure-3 is a perspective view of acorner portion of the swinging panel, and

Figure 4 is a view partly in section showing the feed trough in its inoperative ele-.

vated position. Referring more in detail to the drawlngs,

a rectangular curb or base 1 0 is provided having a rectangular fence mounted upon the corner posts 11 and-'lQ/ fon mounting "sub 7 frames 18 theends and side of theframe. tjonnecting braces 19-are positioned centrallyhbetween the rails. 16 and 17 while similar clamps 20' secure" the subframes- 18 l r to the rails 16 and 17, braces 19 and similar and braces 21-carried between the ra-ils; 16

, andil? and adjacent thecorner posts of the pen. Suitable wire mesh or-grating-ZZ is,"

provided for the sub frames 18. The gate posts 1-2 and'13 are connected together :adj acent the tops thereof "by" a cross piece; 39 while a feeding device is provided k for the peni between the post 13 and the ad 1acent corner post 11. A bottommii 40 0011- nects the gate post 13'and'theia'djacent corne'r post lrl together, anda fee'ding trough 41 e is hinged; tothe rail 140 inwardly of the pen V I by? means of brackets 42,:permittii1g the :1:

troughgto be swung upwardlyf against-the adjacent'side of the pen and retained inoperative p'ositionb'yjmeans of ahookf43 as :ill ustrated in F igures 1 and ofi the drawingsfi Up'on 'releasing the hookf43,=the

trough 41 is'permittedto'swing inwardly to a horizontal position when the as showninFigures 2 and 3 of the draw pen,

ings. A swinging panel {is provided between the fence post 13 and the adjacent cornerpost 11' comprising a top rail 44 trunnioned in brackets 45 secured to the gate post 13 and said adjacent corner post 11,

end rails 46 for the panel beingsecuredto thetop rail 44- while a bottom rail 47 for the panel is opposite the said top rail thereof.

' An 0 erating board 48 is pivotedupon the rail40 by means of collars 49 while links 50 pivotally connect the said collars 49 with the side rails 46 of the swinging panel, it being;

understood that when said panel is in its normally closed position, the links 50 are outwardly of the pen with the board 48 downwardly inclined withrespect to the rail 40. A sub-frame 51 is mounted by hook bolts 52 to the end rails 46 and also prefer i ably connected by clamps 53 with the upper and lower rails;44 and 47. The swinging panel being trunnioned in the brackets 45, an

side thereof by placing thefoot of the attendant upon the step 54 whereby'the links 50 are moved inwardly ofthe lower rail 40v with the pivotal connections between the links 50 and the collars 49 being positioned inwardpush may be exerted upon the lowerinwardly of the axis of said lower rail whereby the swinging panel is maintained with its lower rail 47 inwardly of the pen sunficiently to permit feed to be placed in the trough 41 without any interference on the part of the animals within .the pen. By placing the foot upon the board 48, the lower ends of the links 50 are pulled outwardly of the lower rail 40 and the swing ing panel moves to its normally closed position between the gate post 13, and adjacent corner post 11 and above the lower rail 40. An angular hook pivoted to the side rail l6 automatically engages over a projecting pin 56 upon the adjacent link 50 holding the swinging panel closed until the hook 55 is manually released.

A spring 57 is connected in any convenient manner between one of the side rails 46 of the swinging frame and the adjacent link 50 assists the closing operation when the board48 is moved outwardly or beyond the point of center of the lower rail 40. Protecting bars ,58 are provided adjacent the inner end of the trough 41 being secured to the gate post 13.

The manner of using the pen and feed J trough will be apparent from this detailed description thereof, the gate 1 1 being readily opened and closed at will by swinging the same outwardly for opening but normally retained in its closed positionby any preferred form of latch mechanism. The trough 41 is normally in its horizontal position upon the floor of the pen for feeding purposes while access thereto is readily obtained upon releasing the hook 55 by swinging the moving panel at the front side of the pen inwardly and after depositing the feed in the trough 11, again returning the swinging panel to its closed position retained by the hook 55.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a feeding pen having spaced posts, a top rail trunnioned between said posts, a swinging frame carried by the top rail, curved links pivotally mounted upon the frame, collar members upon the ends of said lower rail, eye bolt connections for collars and links, and a footboard mounted upon the collars for swinging the panel to a closed position.

2. In a feeding pen having spaced posts, A

RUDOLPHJ. LANGER. 

